by Denise Heady, University of California, Los Angeles In a study led by UCLA investigators, treatment with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab helped more than 15 percent of people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer live for at least five years—and 25 percent of patients whose tumor cells had a specific protein lived at least that...
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After 2 Years, Immunotherapy Shows Doubled Median Survival Time for Advanced Lung Cancer Patients
A large, randomized immunotherapy clinical trial continues to show improved overall survival and progression-free survival in advanced lung cancer patients, researchers reported at this year’s American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting. The update on the KEYNOTE-189 trial provides nearly two years data on use of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. “The primary takeaway is that we saw continued benefit, even with...
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Some Antidepressants May Help Treat Multiple Infections, Study Says
By Ted Ranosa Tech Times Scientists are looking at the possibility of using some antidepressant drugs to help treat a wide range of infectious diseases. Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University and other organizations examined the impact of a certain type of antidepressants known as functional inhibitors of acid sphingomyelinas, or FIASMAs. These drugs include amitriptyline, desipramine, and nortriptyline. Results showed that FIASMAs...
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15 Percent Of Sepsis Survivors Die Within A Year Of Leaving The Hospital: Study
By Naia Carlos Tech Times Sepsis patients aren’t out of the woods even getting through their life-threatening illness as research shows that the following years remain risky for survivors. If their illness was critical, sepsis survivors face a higher risk of dying even at least six years after recovering from their disease in the hospital. Long-Term Study Of Sepsis Survivors In the new research published in the...
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Beta blockers reduce stress-induced irregular heart rhythm
YALE UNIVERSITY New Haven, Conn. — Taking beta blockers — medications that reduce blood pressure and treat many heart conditions — can blunt the negative effects of stress and anger on people with a history of atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm, said Yale researchers. This strategy could potentially improve quality of life for many...
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Global study finds acid reflux drug safe for long-term use
A popular drug used to treat stomach and esophagus problems, such as acid reflux, has been found to be safe to use, even long term. A clinical trial involving more than 17,500 people worldwide found that pantoprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), was safeto use throughout a three-year study. An article about the research was published by the medical...
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When hair loss and fast-growing nails could be signs of a serious condition doctors often miss
Six years after Helena Stone thought she would be able to shrug off a ‘minor’ knee sprain, she is still in agonising pain. Helena, then 16, was kayaking when she capsized her boat, catching her right foot. The knee pain took her by surprise. ‘It was really swollen, red and inflamed, but I assumed it...
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Home exercise program reduces rate of falling in at-risk seniors
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA An in-home exercise program reduced subsequent falls in high-risk seniors by 36 per cent, according the results of a 12-month clinical trial published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, conducted by UBC faculty of medicine researchers in partnership with the clinical team at the Falls Prevention Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital, found a reduction in fall rate and...
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Imaging tests help reveal heart risks in patients with psoriatic disease
by Wiley Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis—collectively termed psoriatic disease—face increased heart risks. A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology indicates that ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries can reveal the extent to which patients’ arteries are clogged and also indicate their risk of experiencing future cardiovascular events. The findings suggest that combining such...
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For Latinos with diabetes, new study looks at ways to improve medication adherence
Latino adults have higher diabetes rates than non-Latinos, yet research shows they are less likely to correctly follow medication instructions provided by their doctors. Furthermore, diabetes can set off a cascade of medical complications, requiring multiple medications that often create a challenging daily regimen. In a new study coming out of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, student researchers have identified several potential...